Recent finds by Hannes Rooms

Things we want you to know about and people we want to give a little extra support. Our resident collector, Hannes Rooms, dove up some pearls from the depths of the internet for you to enjoy this week. If you’re looking to discover a different take on reggaeton or Portugese acid house, this is the place to be.

Collected and written by Hannes Rooms

Kelman Duran – ‘they are afraid of her”

LA’s Kelman Duran might just be the best deconstructor of Afro-Caribbean club music. His critically acclaimed debut album, 1804 Kids, carefully unravelled the reggaeton and dancehall of his resident DJ sets at Rail Up into sluggish dembow and storytelling ambient. On ‘they are afraid of her’, Duran drifts even further away from the club and drags you along to the after-after. Like, the moment when you can’t figure out if you’re sleeping or awake and you only recognise some reverb-ed, repetitive vocals from the tracks being played by DJ aux in the background. That one friend dwells on this theory of his/hers/theirs but seemingly never reaches a conclusion. You’re confused about whether to feel sad or satisfied. Your body is exhausted and for a second you wonder if you’re paralysed but reassuringly your blood still flows sensibly through your veins. It’s post-club music at its finest.

Paraíso – Rave Tuga Vol. I

After releasing New Visions by Violet earlier this year, house label Paraíso launches a new project called Rave Tuga (slang for Portuguese Rave). Paraíso claims the heritage of Lisbon’s thriving acid house scene during the Nineties when labels like Kaos and Question of Time introduced a proper rave culture. ‘By pointing in the direction of the future while openly referencing some of Portugal’s dance music pioneers, this compilation opens a dialogue about the newness and excitement that currently proliferates in its local scene coming from all generations by joining some of its different voices.’ The B-side contains sleek productions from veterans like Model 9000, who previously released on Question of Time, while on the A-side Lisbon’s next-gen house producers Violet ‘BB’, Sheri Vari ‘Buy That!’ and Pedro ‘Can You Hear Me’ have created the most exciting tracks. All artists cohabit the underground of a place someone once called ‘a paradise called Portugal’ – and rightfully so. The proceeds of the Rave Tuga tape go to organisations fostering equality.